Submarine projectile.



To all whom may concern:

THEOPHILUS TUCKER, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

S UBMARINE PROJEGTILE no. eaaeeo'.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented March 24, 1908 Application filed December '18, 1907. Serial No. 407,003.

- Be itlmown that I, THE PHILUS TUQ'KER, 1 a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, (whose 'ost oflice address 12 Mead avenue, Oa land, California,) have invented Improvements in Submarine 'Proj'ectiles, of which the following is a specification,

I This invention relates to a novel construetion of shell. or pro'ectile having among other novel and useful eatures' the peculiar func-- tion of penetratingthe surface of a body of wateriwhe'n striking the same at an angle, andof -.maintaining its course through the water atv a greater or less depth. below the surface.

ating the extent. of its submergence, without being diverted from a true course of trajectory.

The novel points and featuresoi' the invention consist in ashell pr rojectile having a substantially cylindrical liollow bbdy, open from end to end, with slits or relatively narrow apertures in the walls [of the shell at intervals around the circumference, and gener-' ally lon itudinal of the body, and a lurality of s" iraIly-set blades'or. prongs on t e head.

e cylindrical body below is provided with spirally-set fiukes or tail-pieces on the butt, or rear end, and the rear end of the-shell is temporarily closed by a separable break piece which is adapted by its structure to become detached and separate-itself from the butt or rear end after theprojectileleiives the gun and before it strikes the water. In addition to these novel features the invention embraces other novel points which will be more fully describedhereinafter, and pointed out in the claimsat the end of this specification,

The accom anying drawings illustrate my invention botih'as embodied n a shell to be fired from a gun of large caliber and constructed t'o-explode on-striking an object;

I and also as embodied in a shell provided with a firing-device that is adapted toex plo de the shell by the chemical action of thewaterco nin contact with the firing-devlce.

In addition to this feature which gives the invention a value for submarine purposes, this projectile has the function of cutting its-way throu h the water after subvmergence, and of-regfi Figure 1 represents the shell in side elevation with the breech-block in lace on the rear end ready for firin the she from a gun. Fig. 2 is a side view of the breech-block detached from the shell, and showing its-position with relation to .the fiukes or tail-pieces on the end of the shell. Fig. 3 is a perspective-view on an enlarged scale looking mto the front endof the shell, the breech-block- 'being omitted from the rear end. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the center of theshell with the breech-block removed from the rear end. Fig. ,5 isa cross-section through the line '55,' Fig. 1. Fig. Gis a cross-sec tion through the line 6-6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is across-section through the line 77, 1. Fig. 8 is an end. view of the plug looking at the front-end. Fig. 9 is a long1tudinal-sec-70 tion through the shell showing .the chambers in the walls to containcharges of an ex los'ive and the ducts or passages for fuses. igs 10 is a transverse section through the body on the line .1010, Fig. 9.. Fig. 11 is anend view of the body-oft he shell ,with the head re- 7 moved, showing the screw-threaded socket to which the'head is fitted.

The body a of this shell is cylindrical at any point of cross-section that may be taken in a .plane at right angles to thelongitudi nal axis of the body, as for extample, on the l ne 55 Fig. 1 where the surface 'circumfere'ntially is included or inscribed within a true circle, and extending axially through the body from end to end is a passage (1 having the same diameter for a portion of its length from the front and back to a point about onehalf of the length of the passage; but forthe remaining portion the passage is gradually contracted to a conical form. for about the rear half of the distance from head to tail.

In the walls of the shell arefor'med relatively long and narrow slots 0 opening I through the bodyinto the axial passage (1 at uniform distances apart around the circumference; These openings are for the purpose of aflording free passage and ample escape from the axial assage, for the air'entering at the front of t 1e shell during the first'portion of its flight and before the breechb ock on the tail of the shell is separated from it; and also for giving full outlet and discharge afterwards for the water that may be taken shell, and at the same time the block is suiticicntly loose to allow it to become detached and separate itself from the body of the shell in the flight of the 'rojectile'.

The base of the b ock is solid, and the exterior surface is surrounded by a band 14 of soft metal. to fill the rifiingof the gun. On

7 the rear end of the block is a sunken knob or view Fig. 8.

hand-grip for lifting and setting the block in place on'the endof the body, preparatory to inserting the rojectile in the gun. The form of this block is shownin the side elevation- Figs. 1 and 2 and in the enlarged front In the latter viewis illustrated the. arrangement of the projections and recesses which a'rerna'de to correspond with the spiral form and angular disposition of the ribs or solid portions of the body ofthe shell.

The leading edge of each prong or projection 10 that enters theispace between the two flukes therefore stands above the sur face of the fluke in front of it, as seen at 16.

1'; and the leading edge 3 of the fluke is higher or is located at a greater distance from the axis than the back edge t so as to be practically flush with the rear edge of the projecting member lO'of the block "against which it lies. The standing edge '16 thus presents to a certain extent a greater resist- ,ance to the air than is presented by the body of the shell nearestthe block, as the projectile leaves" the gun. The effect of this is to facilitate the separation of the block from the shell by the air-pressure within the axial passage, and also by the force of gravity, tending to cause the block to 'slip off and readily drop quickly away.

to end of the body and a tail terminating in a fluke-like projections. r 4. 'A projectile-having a body composed-oi spirally set ribs separated bvperforatrons,

and a passage extending axially through the body from end to end.

5. A projectile having a body composed of spirally set ribs separated by perforations, a passage extending axially from end to end of the body and a head having s|.)irallyset prongs and an open center.

\Yhat I claim and desire to secure by Let- 6. A projectile having a body composed of spirally-set ribs separated by perforations, a

the body, and fluke likeprojections on the rear end, in combination with a head having a hollow center and. spirally set prongs corresppnding in number with the ribs of the body.

7. A projectile havinga passage extending axially through the body from end to end, longitudinally disposed slots in the walls opening into the axial passage, a head having projecting 'pron'gs alternating with rein-- tering spaces, and a tail having rearwardly extendinghikes 8. A projectile having a passage extending axially through the body-longitudinally disposed slots in the walls opening into the axial tween the slots being inclined to the axis and having a standing edge on the circumference following the line of the slot.

, 9. A projectile havinga passage extending axially through the body, spirally-set slots in ,thewalls' opening into the 'axial passage, the solid portions of the body between the slots being inclined uniformly to the axis and having greater elevation on the circumference along the leading edge than at the following. edge of the solid portion. a I 10. A projectile having a passage extending axially througlrthe body, and longitudinally'disposed slots openinginto the axial passage and inclined to the axis, the said fromthe head towards the tail, and the exterior surface of the portions between the slots being inclined circuinferentially.

11. A projectile having a passage extending axially through the body, apertures in the annular wall opening into the axial passage, a chamber in the solid portion of the annular wall containing an explosive, and an exploding device on the leading end of the shell adapted-to fire theexplosive.

12. A projectile comprising a body having a passage extending through it from end to end and longitudinally disposed slots in the walls opening into the said passage, a head having a plurality of prrmgs projecting from the leading end, said prongs being spirallyset with relation to the axis of the projectile, chambers in the annular walls of the body and the head containing charges of an explosive, a fuse-holding passage connecting said .chambers, and a firing device in the end of one or more of the prongs connectcd with said fuse and adapted to explode the charges by percussion.

13. A projectile comprising a body having longitudinally disposed ribs, an axial passage extending through the body for the entire length then-of. apertures in the walls of the passage extending axially from end to end of passage, the solid portion of the body beb dy having a tapering shape internally 

